Download answer key

Science 10
Weather Unit Quiz 2A
35
Name_________________________ Class _____
Part A Selected Response: Use the green scantron form to indicate the most correct
response. (17 points)
1. Which type of surface absorbs the most solar energy?
B) snow – covered land
D) a flowing river
A) a frozen lake
C) a glacier
2. By what method of heat transfer does energy transfer to Earth from the sun?
A) conduction
C) radiation
B) convection
D) all of the above
3. What method of heat transfer burns your hand in the steam over a pot of boiling
water?
A) conduction
C) radiation
B) convection
D) vaporization
4. What is the reason latent heat is absorbed or released in phase changes?
A)
B)
C)
D)
The molecules change their arrangement.
The molecules move farther closer or apart.
The molecules change the type of motion.
The molecules vibrate faster or slower.
5. Why does soil change temperature faster than water?
A) Soil conducts the warmth far below the surface
B) Soil has a lower value of heat capacity (c) than water.
C) Soil absorbs more light than water.
D). Soil has a lower heat of vaporization.
6. Which type of radiant energy is not a part of solar energy that reaches the Earth?
A) infrared
C) ultraviolet
B) gamma rays
D) visible light
7. Which type of wave energy passes through greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but is
absorbed at the Earth’s surface?
A) infrared
B) visible light
C) gamma rays
D) x-rays
8. Which type of wave energy is absorbed (trapped) by greenhouse gases?
A) infrared (long wave)
C) ultraviolet (short wave)
B) visible light
D) x-rays
9. What is the main cause of the different seasons?
A) The distance of the Earth from the Sun changes the intensity of light.
B) The tilt of the Earth with respect to the sun changes the intensity of light.
C) Changes in winds and the jet stream bring different air masses.
D) Changes in air pressure bring different weather patterns.
Page 1 of 4
10. In which layer of the atmosphere is weather found?
A) the mesosphere
C) the troposphere
B) the stratosphere
D) the thermosphere
11. Which gas has the greatest role in the greenhouse effect?
A) water vapour
C) oxygen/ozone
B) nitrogen
D) carbon dioxide
12. Which gas protects the Earth’s surface from ultraviolet rays?
A) water vapour
C) oxygen/ozone
B) nitrogen
D) carbon dioxide
13. The temperature at which condensation forms is described as ____.
A) arid
C) the dew point
B) condensed
D) saturated
14. Which of the following latitudes will have the fastest surface speed due to Earth’s
rotation?
A) North Pole
C) Tropic of Cancer
B) Temperate zone
D) Equator
15. Which of the following factors will determine if a prevailing wind is a westerly or an
easterly?
A) It depends on whether the wind is in the northern or southern hemisphere.
B) It depends on whether the wind is moving toward the pole or the equator.
C) It depends on the direction of the jet stream.
D) Prevailing winds are always westerlies.
16. What is standard (average) atmospheric pressure?
A) 90.8 kPa
C) 101.3 kPa
B) 98.5 kPa
D) 104.3 kPa
17. Which statement best describes low pressure systems?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Warm, dry air rises and creates longer periods of clear weather.
Cool, moist air descends and creates brief periods of precipitation
Warm, moist air rises and creates periods of precipitation
Warm, moist air descends and creates condensation (fog, mist and dew)
18. Which statement best describes the Coriolis effect?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Prevailing winds always turn counterclockwise.
The Coriolis effect only applies to water draining from tubs and toilets
Winds in the Northern hemisphere turn right and in the South they turn to the left.
The Coriolis effect only affects winds in the tropical zones.
19. Which of the following winds are the prevailing winds that most affect Nova Scotia’s
weather?
A) Easterly Trade Winds
B) Temperate westerly winds
A) Westerly Polar Jet Stream D) Onshore Breezes
Page 2 of 4
Part B Selected Response: Write the correct letter in each blank to match the
definition or description with the vocabulary term. (8 points)
20. Match the heat transfer definition by writing the letter next to the correct term. (8 pts)
a) Heat energy is passed by rising currents of air or
liquids.
b) The amount of energy needed to heat one gram
of a pure substance by one degree Celsius = c.
c) Heat energy passes through empty space or clear
materials as wave energy.
d) Radiant energy does not pass through a material,
but is “stopped” and converted to heat energy.
e) Radiation does not pass through a material, but
is turned back in the opposite direction.
f) Heat energy is passed from molecule to another
by vibrations in solids.
g) The amount of energy absorbed in boiling one
gram of a pure liquid.
h) The amount of energy released in freezing one
gram of a pure liquid.
__d__ absorption
__f__ conduction
__a__ convection
__h__ heat of fusion
__g__ heat of vaporization
__c___ radiation
__e__ reflection
__b__specific heat capacity
Part C Constructed Response: Answer any FOUR of the following in brief,
complete sentences on separate paper. Use diagrams or show calculations where
appropriate. (8 pts)
21. Explain how any two of water’s physical properties prevents its temperature from
changing easily. (2 pts)
Since water is transparent, solar energy can reach deep into a water body, so heat energy
is spread more evenly.
Since water has a high specific heat capacity, it does not change temperature quickly
unless large amounts of heat are added or removed.
As water warms up, it evaporates faster. Since water has a high heat of vaporization, it
loses a great deal of heat by evaporation, so evaporation prevents it from warming
quickly.
As water freezes, it releases large amounts of heat as latent heat of fusion. This returns
heat to the liquid and prevents some of the water from freezing.
22. What is a storm surge and why is it dangerous? (2 pts)
A storm surge is a high water level caused by the low pressure at the center of a
hurricane. (The water level rises like a tide, not a wave!) It is dangerous because it
causes flooding which may lead to drowning.
23. How is the energy from warm water involved in forming a hurricane? (2 pts)
Page 3 of 4
Hurricanes form over very warm ocean water. As large amounts of water evaporate, the
moist air rises until it cools and condensation forms clouds. Within the cloud, the latent
heat released by the condensing water warms the air and creates strong rising currents
called updrafts. The heat creates the strong convection currents that form thunderstorms
with strong winds and the moisture creates the heavy rains.
24. Describe how and when an onshore breeze is created. (2 pts)
On onshore breeze occurs during the day as solar energy causes land to warm faster than
nearby water, due to the soil’s low specific heat capacity and heating only at the top few
centimeters. The air above the land rises, and a cool breeze blows in from the water to
take the place of the rising air, creating a breeze.
25. Explain how wetlands and hurricanes are connected. (2 pts)
Wetlands help to reduce the impact of hurricanes by reducing the wind speed (shrubs and
trees increase resistance), reducing the height and strength of waves, and by acting like a
sponge to reduce the flood water.
Wetlands also depend on hurricanes to create flood conditions that deposit organic matter
and sediment that maintain the wetlands, provide nutrients and protect them from
erosion.
26. The air temperature in the classroom is 22°C while the dew point is 4°C. What is the
relative humidity? (2pts)
RH =
dew point humidity
x 100%
maximum (air temp.) humidity
RH = 5.1/17.0 x 100% = 30.0%
27. Dew forms on a glass of cool water at 15°C when the room temperature air is 20ºC.
What is the relative humidity of the room? (2pts)
RH =
dew point humidity
x 100%
maximum (air temp.) humidity
at 15C: (11.6 + 10.1)/ 2 = 10.85
RH = 10.85/15.0 x 100% = 72.3%
Page 4 of 4